I hate elections. Okay, it's not the elections themselves--I relish living in a country where we can elect our representatives. It's all the hoopla beforehand. And it's not even the TV ads. I do
despise them, but since we don’t have cable I don’t have to endure political commercials. But that still hasn't saved us from election nonsense.
Instead, we’re getting phone calls. Not the “Please vote for
Bob the Candidate” type. These are more insidious. They’re “surveys.” I usually
say, “No, thanks.” But they’re very insistent this year. So I thought, “Fine,
I’ll answer.” And then I remembered why I hate surveys.
Survey person: Would you call yourself A, B, or C?
Me: Neither.
Survey person: A, B,
or C are your choices.
Me (shrugs): Sorry.
Survey person (clearly irritated by my last answer): How do
you like Candidate X’s tv commercials?
Me: I don’t have access to regular TV broadcasts.
SP (sounding incredulous): You don’t watch TV?!?
Me: No. (I don’t have anything against TV. I’m just not
willing to spend the money for cable when I can stream what I want to see.)
SP: Would you vote for Candidate Q? (An obscure candidate for a local elected position.)
Me: I don’t know. I’ve never heard of Candidate Q. I’d have
to know what he stands for.
SP (offended): Right. (Clearly, Candidate Q’s campaign is
sponsoring the survey.)
SP: Do you identify with the bad guys or the really bad
guys?
Me (remembering that “neither” is not an acceptable answer):
I guess the bad guys. (Why are there no “good guys?”)
SP (after more questions where my answers are not on the “approved
responses list”): Thank you for participating in this survey. (I can tell she
means “drop dead” you annoying person who doesn’t properly participate in the
accepted social/political game.)
Me: Could you all please not call us again. This is the
third time in the last 24 hrs. And we’re already answered your questions once
before.
SP: It wasn’t us.
Me: Uh, it was all the same questions.
SP: Someone else must be running a survey.
Me: Oh.
SP: Hangs up.
I can’t wait for December.
Hahahaha I must say that I'm thrilled this doesn't happen in my country. :-D
ReplyDeleteThis is where caller ID is a beautiful thing. :-)
ReplyDeleteI hate multiple choice surveys--there's never any room for nuance. Politics with no nuance is tyranny.
And your dad wonders why we don't answer the phone. One out of 25-30 calls might be someone we actually want to talk to.
ReplyDeleteI won't vote for someone because they "personally" called me...via a recording. If I have things to give away I have places to donate...not those "with a truck in the area". We give to churches/charities we choose to and don't want to sponsor 50 children at the circus.
I don't hate surveys. I hate the phone!
I HATE those surveys and robo-calls. Especially the robo-calls, because we get so darned many of them. But we must be "special". Sarah Palin even called ...
ReplyDelete